London's resilience on medicines and food supply post-Brexit
The GLA's Chief Resilience Officer, Dr Fiona Twycross, says a 'food logistics map' for London is an important initiative if the capital is too combat food shortages, especially if they occur in the wake of Brexit.
Fiona was speaking today at Future Cities Forum's 'Healthy Cities' event at Apothecaries' Hall in London about her work with 100 resilient cites worldwide.
She stated that she hoped that the possible shortages in supply of medicines and food could be avoided if the UK Government and the EU's talks moved away from ending in a no-deal Brexit. Watch Fiona's comment in the video clip above.
Within the medical environment, the BBC today broadcast that Dr David Rosser, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham Trust is questioning reassurances from the government on medicine supplies following a no-deal Brexit and that hospital trusts still don't know which products are at risk and could quickly run out.
The broadcaster also noted that Professor Michael Levi told colleagues at a board meeting at University College London Hospital Trust that the tone from the UK Government and NHS officials had changed completed in recent weeks and words of reassurance had been replace by 'almost daily communications which are very close to panic'.
Fiona stated that the idea for the food logistics map came out of discussions with the London Food Board and that the GLA wants to create a supply chain map to help identify where food shortages might occur.
Concerns over food supply have intensified in the last few months following a warning in the autumn from Stena Line, reported by the BBC, that the company had stated 'there is very little readiness at ports' and 'anxiety is high'.
The food logistics map, Fiona says, is something that currently the GLA, the government and academia lacks, so it is a vital piece of work to carry out. Please see Fiona speaking in the video clip below.
We are extremely grateful to Fiona for joining our forum today and further video clips will be made available for viewing from the event over the coming days and weeks. We will return to the issue of supply chains and city logistics in our February and March events.